Is the 940-1 worth the big bucks ?

EVERETTJOHN

EVERETTJOHN

Joined
May 25, 2014
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60
Have been looking at this knife online , but at $263.00 I have to ask myself , Is it really worth that kind of money ? To me thats a large investment . What do you guys think ?
 
Redmasta said:
See if you can find it available locally they seem to be going for less.
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Plus you get to inspect it in person for issues like blade centering, blade play, blade not sharp, blade grind, etc.

I had to send mine back but once fixed it's an excellent EDC folder. Very light, flicks open, great steel and CF handle. Ultimately, it's worth it to me.
 
This discussion has me dreaming of a 484 Nakamura with CF scales. How awesome would that be?
 
Even though the OP has moved on to a 484, I still need to put in my $.02.

The 940-1 is a great knife, IMHO. It is one of my 3 favored EDCs, the other 2 from other MFGs. The 940-1 has excellent steel, an outstanding CF handle, good ergos and feels excellent in-hand while being light weight and very tough. Expensive, yes. But absolutely worth it. Nothing against the 484 (I have one and it is a really nice knife - the OP won't be sorry to own it), but (IMO) the 940-1 is worth the difference in price.
 
I, too, would love one of these, but my funds these days are limited. I have even tried selling off other knives I "love" to get one, to no avail, so maybe lots of folks are in the same boat as I . Whats not to love about the 940-1???
 
As much of a fan of Benchmade I am, the Spyderco Manix 2 in S110v kept me from buying this knife. I prefer the Axis lock over the spyderco's version, but it's not far behind. The CF handles on the 940-1 are much more expensive than the FRN on the Spyderco, but I actually dislike them both equally, and prefer standard G10. Basically, both have very comparable performance, but one is less than half the cost of the other.
 
I had never had a 940 before so I ordered one. Long story short I was not pleased with it. Fit and finish on the one I had was fantastic just could not get used to the size of it, felt like a folding pencil. SO now I know that the 940 is not the knife for me, definitely try to find one locally. I think the price is a little high at 265.00 (what I paid) but it is still premium materials, you could do a lot worse.
 
The 940-1 is absolutely worth the $260 price tag. The price is very reasonable considering the leading-grade materials, USA manufacturing, and amazing ergonomics/carry-ability of the knife. I find that the carbon fiber has better traction than the standard aluminum version and the balance of the knife is much better.
 
The carbon fiber 940 is real nice but I want the green one more regardless of price. I really like the megumi buy it doesn't have an axis lock, so I'm gunna get me a 940 at some point when the money frees up. Although the contego is calling me too. Oh well, don't have to choose yet.
 
I have had a 940-1 for a few weeks. I am still on the fence about it not sure I like the way it carries. If I decide to sell it I will list it on the forum and give someone a good deal. I also have a 484 which I think I like much better.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
As much of a fan of Benchmade I am, the Spyderco Manix 2 in S110v kept me from buying this knife. I prefer the Axis lock over the spyderco's version, but it's not far behind. The CF handles on the 940-1 are much more expensive than the FRN on the Spyderco, but I actually dislike them both equally, and prefer standard G10. Basically, both have very comparable performance, but one is less than half the cost of the other.
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That particular Manix is one of the three that I was talking about up in post #9. We were out of town all day today and I carried my 940-1. Got home and put the Manix in my pocket. Love 'em both (along with the ZT0770CF). This is a great time to be part of this hobby. So many great knives to choose from.
 
I think you made a good choice. You still get an exotic steel with crazy good wear resistance, and a good product with good quality and design features.

As for the 940-1 being worth it over the 940...it depends if you view cosmetic, performance, or both as justifying the price premium. S90V gives insane edge retention, but there is a tradeoff with toughness to my understanding. The carbon fiber is probably more durable cosmetically than the aluminum handle, but the performance isn't going to really differ in most cases. In other terms, the primary performance difference is the blade.

My personal recent usage of M390 is making me feel that, yes, M390, S90V, S110V, etc. do justify some degree of price premiums provided the primary trait the user wants is edge retention (again, usually with the trade off of toughness, plus ease of sharpening). I'm also coming to love M390's corrosion resistance. I actually did not think that much of M390 until I took the edge below 15 degrees. I have read that people can really "get their money's worth" with these steels by putting a thinner edge on it. I can't speak to usage beyond my own, but my own personal usage is leading me to that same conclusion for myself.




Now there is a problem with this, however. The Spyderco Gayle Bradley has carbon fiber and CPM-M4 steel, but it is around half the price of the 940-1. Quality-wise, I consider the two knives to be very comparable. So if someone is looking for serious quality-with-value, the 940-1 may not be the best choice. And with the S110V Manix for around $100, there are also low-cost super steel options.
 
I'd say yes, if you want carbon fiber and S90V. Mine had some issues I fixed, and I've done some other mods to make it more ideal for me personally but the pricing is not bad really. If you compare it to other knives with CF and S90V being offered. The Manix 2 XL CF/S90 was what $220 pre-order, the ZT 0562 and 0620 CF are going to be in the $240 range (non-pre order).

When you consider that BM now charges just under $200 MAP for the aluminum handle version with S30V I'd say CF and S90V are well worth the $65 up charge. Add to that if you hunt around a bit it's not that hard to find a dealer selling them close to $200 shipped outside their online store, or if you have a local dealer willing to sell under MSRP.

The only way I'd steer to the aluminum version was if I was going to really abuse it, the CF handles have quite a bit more flex in them laterally than the aluminum version. Hold them both on a counter and push down the blade laterally and you can really feel the CF deflect more. Try and squeeze the handle gap together in the middle and you can easily see it flex quite a bit. Since I don't pry with folding knives it's not an issue, if I was going to abuse it, pry with it etc. I'd stay away from unlined thin CF. However, the 940 was never designed as a heavy use/abuse folder.

If you really want a thin light folder with above average steel, it's hard to beat the 940-1 right now at under 2.5 ounces and a 3.4" blade.
 
Milled CF and S90V and carries like a feather.Its a top choice 3 for me for a smaller lightweight knife.Blade cutting length is good and ergos feel correct.Yes it's worth it!
 
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